Thill-coupling.



Patented July 23, IBM.

F. A. WEGNER.

THILL COUPLING.

A lication filed Aug. 25, 1900.

(No Model.)

. M QEEWI WITNESSES: {$4. {W

7 Wow/cw Attorneys.

Warren Ermine Parent (lemon,

FREDERICK A. VEGNER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

THILL COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,269, dated July 23, 1901.

Application filed August 25, 1900. $erial No. 28,046. (No model.)

To a, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A.WEGNER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit,county of Wayne,State of Michigan,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Thill-Oouplings; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to thill-couplin gs, and has for its object an improved noiseless or antirattling coupling adapted to be applied to many forms of shackles in common use or to be used with shackles specially manufactured for the purpose.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupling with the guard-loop in position to prevent the uncoupling of the thill from the shackle. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupling with the guard or holding loop thrown back to enable the bolt to be withdrawn from the shackle-eye. Fig. 3 is a detail of the loop employed to hold the parts in position. Fig. i is a detail of the cam or eccentric used with the loop. Fig. 5 is a detail of the spring-rest employed to prevent the spring that is used from escaping from place between the thill and the coupling. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the coupling. Fig. 7 is a detail of the holding-spring.

A indicates a shackle, which is the same form of shackle shown in the patent granted to me August 5, 1890, No. 433,502. This shackle is provided with a coupling-eye a, by means of which it is coupled to the thill B, and to produce this coupling I use a headless bolt or short pin a. I secure to the shackle A a spring-holder or aspring-rest b, which is shown in detail in Fig. 5, and comprises, in effect, a plate provided with an elongated slot 1), by means of which it is adjustably held on the shackle A, being held between the nut A and the cross-bar A of the shackle. This platebis provided with a cross-slot 5 through which is inserted a bent leaf-spring c, preferably covered with-leather or some similar substance that prevents noise resulting from the frictional contact between it and the thilleye. Such noise-deadening cover may be leather, rubber, or any of the softer metals, as copper, zinc, or even paper. The covering is held to the spring by a struck-up point r or by any other approved means. The upper end of the spring is bent downward and curved with what may be called a reentering curve to a substantial parallelism with the curve of the thill-eye. The stem of the spring in the assembled coupling is substantially vertical, and the foot of the spring is bent forward and curved to engage over the eccentric or compressing lever d. This spring is covered or surrounded by the loop E. (Shown in Fig. 3.) The loop E has a bearingsurface at that part which lies across and at the upper side in the assembled coupling and is provided with two side pieces or holding pieces, that extend downward and are provided with pivot-holes e, through which are inserted the trunnions e of the compressinglever d. The loop E is provided with guardlugs e that extend forward and engage closely against the ends of a headless bolt a, inserted through the eye of the thill and the eyes of the shackle. The loop E when used for general use in connection with shackles not speciallymade for it or where greater pressure is desired on the thill-eye than ordinary is provided with turned-back points or a turned-back face 6 that is adapted to rest on the ears of the coupling, and under these turned-back points or extensions may be inserted wooden wedges or wedges of any suitable material and of any desired thickness to produce the proper tension between the loop E and the thill-eye and at the same time produce the proper tension between the loop E and the spring a, which bears against the under side of the thill-eyes and is pressed by the lever d against the thill-eyes.

. In assembling the parts the lever dis turned to bring the points h of the eccentric down ward,as shown in Fig. 2, where they exert no upward pressure against the spring 0 and do not serve to draw the loop E downward against the thill-eyes. In this condition the loop, spring 0, plate I), and lever a are secured to the shackle by inserting the plate I) over the branch of the shackle and screwing the nut A up against it. Vhen in this is free to beengaged with thethill=eye, as is' indicated in Fig. 2. The thill-eye and the shackle-eye are brought into alinement, the pin a inserted in place, and the lever d turned halfway around on its bearings, bringing all the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the spring 0 is pressed upward forcibly against the thill-eye, the loop E drawn down forcibly against the shackleears, and the thill-eye and shackle-ears are engaged strongly between the spring and the loop and any rattling noise elfectuallypren vented.

What I claim is- 1. In a thill-coupling, in combination with a clip adapted to engage over the shacklefl cars, a lever fulcrumed in the clip, a spring:

adapted to engage between the shackle-ears under the thill-eye and over an arm of the;

lever, a perforated plate adapted to be se-' cured to the shackle, and arranged to secure:

said spring from escape, substantially as described. i

2. In a thill-coupling, in combination with? a clip, adapted to engage over the shackle-7 ears, abent lever fnlcrumed in the clip, a? plate adapted to be secured to the shackle; and provided with an opening for the passage of a spring, a spring adapted to engage under the .thill-eye and between the shackle-ears, the said ,plate being adapted to allow free movement of the spring, but to prevent its escape when the thill-coupling is disengaged, substantially as described.

3. In a thill-coupling, in combination with a clip adapted to engage over the shackleears, a bent lever fulcrumed to the clip, a perforated plate arranged to be secured to the shackle, a bent spring passing through the perforation in said plate, a noise-deadening cover for said spring, substantially as described.

4. In a thill-coupling, in combination with a clip provided with points 6 adapted to hold a wedge, a perforated plate arranged to be secured to said shackle, a spring adapted to engage between the shackle-ears under the thill-eye, a compression-lever arranged to forcibly compress the spring between itself and the thill-eye, and anoise-deadening cover for said spring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. WEGNER.

Witnesses:

JAMES B. MORAN, JOHN N. GOQDRIOH. 

